[10] De facto leader of Sudan Abdel Fattah al-Burhan regularly made visits to southern cities that served as training hubs for new SAF recruits, including Wad Madani.

However, on 11 November, the Shambat Bridge over the Nile was destroyed, denying the RSF a critical supply route to the western side of the river.

[14] In need of a new crossing, the RSF assaulted the village of Jabal Awliya on the border with the southern states to capture the Jebel Aulia Dam.

[16] On 14 December, the RSF carried out a raid on northern Gezira, capturing the town of Abu Guta without resistance, thereby gaining a foothold in the state.

[17] The battle began on 15 December with a flanking maneuver by the RSF that bypassed the northern city of Rufaa and threatened to cut off the SAF, forcing the latter to retreat to Wad Madani itself.

[18] The SAF claimed that the first RSF assault on the city was repelled with heavy artillery and air strikes, prompting civilians to celebrate on the streets.

[18] SAF defenses promptly collapsed as RSF control soon extended to major government buildings in the city, including the 1st Infantry Division's headquarters and the central police station.

[29] The capture of Wad Madani gave the RSF free movement throughout Gezira State and access to other major cities in the fertile Butana region, including El-Gadarif, Kosti, and Sennar, making it difficult for the SAF to concentrate its forces.

[25] Hussein Rabah, a Sudanese military expert, described Wad Madani as the "lungs of Sudan", an important crossroads for the country.

[10] Cameron Hudson, a former United States official and expert on the Horn of Africa, believed that Burhan would likely turn to Eritrea or Iran in the hopes of changing the tide back in the SAF's favor.

[33] Before the battle started, Wad Madani was the most common area for displaced civilians to go and was generally considered a safe haven.